Neom and Volocopter, a German aerospace company, have been testing electric flying taxis in Saudi Arabia to provide an innovative transportation system in the giga-project.
This is the first time that an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft has received a special flight authorisation and performed test flights in Saudi Arabia.
The flight tests lasted over a week and came after 18 months of collaboration between Neom, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Volocopter.
“The successful test flight of a Volocopter eVTOL is not just another milestone towards the creation of Neom’s innovative, sustainable, multimodal transportation system – it is a tangible example of Neom as a global accelerator and incubator of solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of Neom.
Air taxis powered by renewable energy
“Driving the development of smart, sustainable, and safe mobility systems will improve livability and connectivity in cities around the world and reduce carbon emissions, creating a cleaner future for all.”
The test flights focused on the aircraft’s flight performance in the local climate and environmental conditions.
Per a press release, Neom’s mobility system – including the air taxis – will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, generated by solar and wind energy sources.
“This safe and successful test flight represents an important milestone of the Saudi aviation sector and another steady step towards achieving the aviation sector’s strategy, through innovation and employing emerging technologies to create new industries that contribute to the output GDP and create more jobs,” said Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, GACA president.
“It is beyond exciting to see our work from the past 18 months come to fruition,” said Christian Bauer, Volocopter’s chief commercial officer. “As the first eVTOL aircraft to ever test in Saudi Arabia, we are proud to have lain the groundworks for our future collaboration here in Neom.”
Neom, a $500 billion ‘land of the future’, includes a zero-carbon city called The Line with “vertically layered” buildings for work, living and leisure.
“Engineering and design was not enough without art,” Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, said in a Discovery Channel interview about The Line that aired on 26 June (via Arab News). “[We] don’t want to create a city without having the whole city as a piece of art.”
“In Miami, when you get out of your office, you are on vacation — immediately you are next to entertainment, culture, sport and retail,” he added. “We are competing with Miami.”
